Audrey Pfitzner
University of Georgia student Vanessa Sachs won the 2023 Collegiate Great Brands Competition with her sweat-resistant cosmetics brand SWAKE Thursday in Athens, Georgia.
The Collegiate Great Brands Competition, hosted annually by the UGA Entrepreneurship Program for the past seven years, gives student entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their consumer brands for the chance at $25,000 and a spot in the Consensus Great Brands Show in New York.
The 2023 rendition of the competition saw 52 entries from across the nation all representing unique brands. The final nine teams traveled to Athens for a private pitching with the judges, and the final three teams got to pitch their brands to a live studio audience Thursday at Studio 255.
Megan Henning, a program coordinator who has been involved with the event for the past five years, emphasized the national impact that this competition yields compared to alternative pitch competitions.
Henning said, “This one is a little bit of a deeper dive. It’s a $25,000 prize so they have a longer pitch time and then the judges have a longer time allocation for Q & A.”
Vanessa Sachs launched SWAKE in April of 2022 after noticing that the cosmetics industry lacked a brand that lasted from “9-to-5 and beyond.”
Sachs said, “We deserve to have good makeup products that lasts and keep up with our workouts. You know, there are so many supplement companies, athleisure, but there is no sweat-proof cosmetics and that blew my mind.”
With a background of biology and psychology, Sachs was able to work with a cosmetic chemist in order to create her first product, sweat-proof foundation, and the brand has only grown from there. SWAKE now offers a full makeup set of products and applicators.
Sachs said that the prize money will be used to retarget customers through paid ads, which SWAKE has had previous success with. The winnings will also help increase product inventory, which will increase the shade range and the number of products on hand, making the brand more inclusive.
The judges awarded second place to another University of Georgia student, Matthew Tesvich, for his brand OX SOX, a sock brand aimed to neutralize foot odor. Third place was awarded to Washington University’s Chiara Munzi with her brand ChiChi Foods, which replaces oats with chickpeas in popular breakfast foods.
Sachs is only the second University of Georgia student to win the nationwide competition since its beginning. Kristen Dunning is the other, winning the 2022 competition with Gently Soap, a skin care brand that utilizes natural products safe for those with sensitive skin.
Why I Wrote the Story:
Covering the business beat has led to many opportunities, but the Collegiate Great Brands Competition was my favorite. Not only did the event keep me thoroughly engaged, but it also allowed me grow as a journalist. Event coverage is a different style of writing with a particular angle. This story gave me the opportunity to interview a student entrepreneur about their unique brand. I also spoke to an event coordinator and audience members in order to capture multiple perspectives in my story. I learned that it is important to not only observe the reactions and mannerisms of the participants and judges, but of the audience as well.